Full Guide to the Tree of Life in Kalaloch

About the Tree of Life

The Tree of Life, also known as the Tree Root Cave, is a sitka spruce. What makes this tree different from others is that its roots are completely exposed! It’s not everyday that you can see a living tree’s root structure!

The roots became exposed slowly over time due to a stream traveling down the bluff. The water eroded the soil, and now the tree is suspended over the bluff with its roots dangling in the air. 

I spoke with a staff member at the Kalaloch Lodge, and she said that the Tree of Life has been a tourist attraction for over 30 years. (That’s when the erosion began to expose the roots.) 

So why is this tree a big deal? Trees survive by absorbing nutrients in the soil through their roots, so the fact that this tree remains alive while so much of its root structure out of the dirt is somewhat of a miracle! It’s also amazing that the tree hasn’t collapsed after years of harsh storms along the coast.

I called the Kalaloch Lodge and spoke to their front desk staff, and they estimated that people have been visiting this site since the 1950s.

Best Time to Visit

When I spoke with the front desk staff at the Kalaloch Lodge, they said that visitors should time their visit with the tide schedule. During the summer visitors can always reach the tree, but during the winter, it’s best to visit at low tide.

The best time of day to visit the tree is either in the early morning or at sunset. If you visit in the early morning, the sun will rise behind the tree. You may get lucky and have a sun star or beams of light filtering through the tree branches. Alternatively, if you visit at sunset, you can photograph the tree during golden hour. (My favorite time to visit is during golden hour! Most people had already left the beach for the day, and the lighting was gorgeous.)

During a summer weekend, there might be a short line to take photos. If you are visiting Kalaloch during peak-season, we recommend waking up early to take photos so you don’t have to wait in line.

The beach is pretty cold year-round, so most people don’t swim at Kalaloch. However, we highly recommend going for a beach walk after seeing the tree!

Is it Still Standing?

As of 2024, when I last updated this post, the Tree of Life in Kalaloch remains standing. If you want to see this tree for yourself, make it a priority. No one knows how much longer the tree will continue to stand. It could literally topple over during any storm.

Before making the trek out, you can call the Kalaloch Lodge to see if it’s still standing. Don’t postpone your trip, because there are no guarantees on how long it will continue to stand!

Our Visit

We visited during the off-season in early April. We stayed at the campground, so it was very convenient to walk to the tree as soon as we woke up in the morning.  

There wasn’t anyone else on the beach, so we were able to take photos without waiting around. The beach was practically empty during our entire visit! We only saw one other person there the whole time we were at the tree.

Seeing this tree in person was certainly inspiring. Sometimes travel experiences can fall flat compared to our expectations, and this was not the case for us. We kept looking at the delicate roots and we couldn’t believe that the tree had not been knocked over. We kept looking for a main source of stability, but it appeared that all the roots were exposed. Nature is truly magnificent!

After seeing the tree for ourselves, we went for a beach walk and played a game of bocce ball in the sand. It was the perfect day!

“Sometimes to even live is an act of courage.” – Seneca

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How to Find It

The Tree of Life is located on Washington State’s western coast at Kalaloch Beach. It’s about 178 miles west of Seattle. (The drive is a little over three hours long from Seattle without traffic.) Kalaloch is just outside of Olympic National Park. (You can see our full guide for visiting Olympic National Park here!)

To reach it, first drive to the Kalaloch Campground. The tree is located within walking distance from the campground. We stayed in the C loop and just walked a very short distance south along the beach. If you park in the day use parking lot, you can take the trail down to the beach and walk north a short distance. You won’t have to walk far at all. It will be easily spotted along the bluff.

If you’re trying to reach the tree from Kalaloch Lodge, head north about a half mile. 

We recommend downloading the National Park Service app in advance of your visit. Cell phone coverage within Olympic National Park can be unreliable, so you can download all of your maps offline. You can also learn about the many different regions of the park.

If you’re visiting Kalaloch, be sure to see our posts about nearby Ruby Beach and Third Beach!

 

Nearby Hotels and Campgrounds

Kalaloch Lodge

The Kalaloch Lodge is located on a bluff overlooking the ocean. The main lodge was built in 1953 and is currently owned by the National Park Service. In addition to the main lodge, there are also cozy cabins and the Seacrest House, which is full of hotel-style rooms.

The cabins at Kalaloch Lodge have either full kitchens or kitchenettes as well as wood-burning fireplaces. The Bluff Cabins have a view of either the ocean or the creek. The Kalaloch Cabins are log cabin-style and have nature views.

There is intentionally no WiFi available at Kalaloch Lodge so that guests can truly disconnect. Dogs are permitted in the cabins, but not the main lodge.

Kalaloch Campground

Kalaloch Campground is open 365 days a year. During the summer you can make reservations. The rest of the year, it’s first-come, first-served. Be sure to see the campground website to see which specific dates are open for reservations. During the off-season, some of the camping loops might be closed. We highly recommend that you make reservations in advance if you are planning on visiting during the summer months.

The Kalaloch Campground is fairly large. It has 168 campsites, which Includes 4 accessible sites and 1 group site. There are no hookups for RVs, but there is a dump station for a fee. There are restrooms with flush toilets, but there are no showers.

The campground is located on a bluff that overlooks the ocean. Not all of the campsites have ocean views, but many of the campsites on the western edge of the loops do have views. Try to get a beach-view campsite if you can… there is nothing like watching the sunset from your campfire!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.. 

We stayed at the Kalaloch Campground during the month of April and there were plenty of sites available during our visit. For our first night, we stayed at a campsite on the inner loop. When a beach view campsite became available, we switched sites. We thought the campground’s location was stunning! Watching the sunset over the ocean from our campsite was absolutely priceless. We would highly recommend this campground to others.

The city of Forks, Washington, has several motels that are within reach of Kalaloch Beach. For a full list of accommodations in Forks, click here.

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Nearby Activities

There are tons of things to do near Kalaloch! We highly recommend stopping by some of the nearby spots from this list:

• Ruby Beach: This is easily one of the most beautiful beaches in Washington State due to the numerous sea stacks.
• Hoh Rain Forest: Head into the rainforest and check out the Hall of Mosses loop trail.
• Hurricane Ridge: On a clear day, you’ll see the tops of the mountains and even as far out to Canada.
• Third Beach: The trail to Third Beach is 3.6 miles roundtrip. You’ll see plenty of sea stacks from this beach hike.
• Big Cedar Tree: A very short .1 mile trail will take you a massive Cedar tree believed to be over 1,000 years old. After storms in 2014, it was split nearly in two.
• Lake Crescent: This beautiful lake is located in the Olympic Mountains.
• Sol Duc Falls: To reach the falls, you’ll complete a beautiful 1.6 mile roundtrip hike. 
• World’s Largest Spruce Tree: The tree has a circumference of 58 feet, 11 inches.
• Forks, Washington: This is the town where the Twilight book series takes place. Fans of the books will enjoy seeing many of the places mentioned in the books.
• Port Townsend, Washington: This historic seaport is known for its coastal views and Victorian-style buildings.

We especially recommend Ruby Beach, which is one of the most breathtaking beaches along the Washington coast. There’s tons of haystacks and tide pools.

We also highly recommend that you stop by the Hoh Rain Forest, which is less than a mile away. While you’re there, be sure to check out the Hall of Mosses. This short hike is one of our favorite hikes in Washington State!

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